Well, that sucked. I understand that it didn't mean anything and the seeding was pretty much already set and all that. But, really, as soon as San Diego went up by 14 and we went down by 20, that was that.
Roethlisberger was out. Hines was out. Troy was out. But... we still let up a crap load of points to a bunch of, well, back-ups. This is kind of like losing the third preseason game when you play your starters but the other team plays their bench guys.
The Vaunted Steelers Defense let up 27 points to Troy Smith, Musa Smith, some dude from Harvard, and some other midget from Nebraska. Derrick Mason looked like an All Pro. Their defense was pretty much in control until Batch and Company decided they were going to try to make a game of it.
Seriously. Just like losing the third preseason game. It doesn't mean anything, everyone didn't necessarily play to win and it's tough to take anything definitively away from the game... Except for the fact that we're totally screwed in the playoffs.
We're screwed. That's all there is to it. I don't care if it was a tune-up game. I don't care if Ben didn't play (by the way, did you see how fired up he was on the sidelines? It looked like he wanted to put his helmet on and go in there. He looked genuinely pissed off that Batch threw that interception and they didn't win.) I don't care if we rested a number of starters. The starting defense was still out there, except Polamalu, for three quarters. And, in those three quarters, they let up twenty-seven friggin' points against one of the worst offenses in the league. Against an offense that leads the league in turnovers, they forced one friggin' fumble. They looked sloppy, sluggish, and generally inept in all phases of the game.
Anyone that thinks they can "flip a switch" and turn it on when it comes to the playoffs obviously hasn't watched this team all season. Now, new coach, new attitude, I'm basing most of this opinion on Cowher teams, but they haven't shown the ability to bounce back, to rise to the occasion, or to get mentally prepared for a game all season. Really, I think the only game where they were ready to go at kickoff was the Monday night game against the hated Ravens.
They're not ready, mentally or physically, for everything that the playoffs bring. They're unprepared for it. Maybe, if they make it next year, they'll be ready. Sure, they've got a lot of guys on the roster with post-season experience. Sure, they've got a lot of talent. They just don't have that feel about them. Confidence, competence, execution... they don't seem to have it. Or, at least, they don't have it consistently.
You know who seems to "get it" right about now? The Jaguars. And, if not the Jaguars, the Colts definitely do. And the Patriots are pretty good. I think they had a fairly decent regular season and their coach and quarterback have had some success in the playoffs with less talented rosters.
The Steelers and the Titans are on the outside looking in. And, that sucks, but not bad results for a re-building year.
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